Chapters 12 and 13 and Epilogue Summary and Analysis

Chapter 12 begins a new phase of the narrative; from this point forward, the two groups are joined and treated as one group; whereas, previously, chapters alternated between events experienced by the prisoners of war and events experienced by the rescue party. Chapter 12 describes the rescue by 121 Rangers of 513 prisoners of war; the Rangers suffer two killed and the prisoners of war suffer one casualty, a man who succumbs to a presumed heart attack. The Japanese suffer a presumed approximate 200 casualties. The Rangers' assault achieves total surprise, and in the opening seconds machine guns fire at point black ranges into barracks crammed with sleeping and resting Japanese. The towers and pillboxes are destroyed in the opening salvos. The Japanese forces are destroyed or routed and resistance is very slight. Staff Sergeant Manton Stewart leads his bazooka...